A rare bird considered extinct in the wild has been born in a Brazilian zoo, giving new hope in the fight to stop the rare species from being wiped out.

The baby Alagoas curassow was born on 26 October in the Parque das Aves in the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu. The park says there are currently just 230 specimen of the exotic bird left on the planet, all of which are in captivity.

The zoo said the birth marked the first time an Alagoas curassow has hatched in captivity. The researchers caring for the hatchling said they had to help it emerge from its shell when it hatched, but that the tiny chick is growing stronger.

The bird park received 10 Alagoas curassow couples in June so that researchers could try to mate the pairings. Researchers hope to hatch enough Alagoas curassows, or Mitu mitu, to be able to one day reintroduce the species into the wild.

Alagoas curassows were once native to the Atlantic forests of Brazil's north-east coast including the state of Alagoas, from where it gets its name. The pheasant-like fowl was driven from its natural habitat by deforestation in Brazil's north-east to make way for agriculture, mostly sugarcane fields.

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